Saturday 26 July 2008
Pre-Season Friendly
Motherwell 4 (Clarkson 1, Porter 19 pen, D Smith 31, Malcolm 40)
Bradford City 0
Kick Off: 3.00pm
at Fir Park

Attendance: 1696 (visitors 314)

The boisterous away support left nobody in any doubt.

As the fourth goal rolled in five minutes before the break, they chanted: "You're just too good for us."

Down in the City dug-out, they would have got no argument from Stuart McCall.

Scottish football gets a bad press, especially south of the border, but there is no disputing that Motherwell are a good side.

Third place in the Scottish Premier last season was no fluke for a team now looking forward to participating in the UEFA Cup. That's hardly the Johnstone's Paint Trophy.

Midfielders Bob Malcolm and Stephen Hughes have both played at a decent level in England - Malcolm started last season in the Premier League with Derby - while striker David Clarkson recently scored on his Scotland debut.

It was fair to say that City had bitten off more than they could chew by taking the game in the first place.

Ideally, McCall would have preferred another First Division opponent to follow on from Dundee. But with the Scottish League Challenge Cup - their JP Trophy equivalent - making its usual early start at the weekend, there were none available.

Hamilton, promoted to the Premier this season, would have been a halfway house. But their pitch isn't ready...

So City were on a bit of a hiding to nothing at a ground where Rangers could not win last season in two attempts.

McCall was also without his playmaker Paul McLaren following his Dens Park injury scare. Kyle Nix was another ankle victim and, of course, Michael Boulding.

It meant a big ask for the likes of youngster Luke Sharry, who had shown promising moments in pre-season so far. Now he was given the job of shackling the third best engine room in Scotland over 90 minutes.

The game was only 16 seconds old when City found themselves behind.

Caught stone cold from the kick-off, Keith Lasley opened up acres of room on the right and his low cross was rammed in at the near post by Clarkson. It was a sign of things to come.

Within two minutes, Rhys Evans was diving bravely at the feet of Chris Porter and then Clarkson nodded across goal after Hughes had confused Graeme Lee on the byline.

Mark Bower had his hands full with Porter, who had scored two against City in his Oldham days a couple of years ago. After 18 minutes, the defender's challenge in the box was a fraction late and Porter picked himself up to fire home the spot-kick, even though Evans got his right arm to it.

For 20 minutes, it had been one-way traffic.

City tried to put up some resistance and Peter Thorne stretched to reach a great angled ball by Paul Arnison but keeper Graeme Smith blocked with his legs.

Then Chris Brandon, starting to get to the pace of the game in his second outing, cut inside menacingly from the left flank but couldn't find the power on his shot.

City's brief spell came up short and they were undone again just after the half hour. Impressive Motherwell movement carved out more space for Darren Smith to drive across the helpless Evans.

The keeper punched unconvincingly at a routine cross as City continued to wobble at the back. And it was no shock when a fourth arrive five minutes before the break.

Evans initially made a good save from Smith but the rebound came back to the frontman, who casually rolled it to the unmarked Malcolm to finish off. The half-time whistle could not come quick enough.

McCall used the break to challenge his players and change the system. Willy Topp, who had hardly featured, made way so that Omar Daley could go wide left in a five-man midfield with Brandon moving more central.

It had a more solid look and, as the substitutions started, City were finally holding their own.

Rory Boulding was among the new arrivals but his first run with the ball ended abruptly against a Gambian brick wall in the shape of no-nonsense former Preston stopper Seyfo Soley.

Daley created a genuine chance to pull one back but his shot flew the wrong side of the post then, when Barry Conlon did have the ball in the net with a back-header, it was chalked off for a supposed foul on the keeper.

Unfortunately City's injury jinx struck again with 20 minutes remaining as Brandon fell awkwardly over his left ankle. What is it with City and ankles at the moment?

He will definitely miss out on making his home debut in Wednesday's friendly against Burnley. Far more importantly, fingers will be firmly crossed that he gets back in time for the Notts County season opener in just under a fortnight.

After a quiet start at Dens Park, Brandon had displayed a quality touch on the ball and was playing with confidence before the setback. He looks comfortable playing with either foot.

Despite the disruptions, City were still hunting a consolation goal and should have had one with five minutes left.

Paul Heckingbottom's free-kick was knocked down into the mix by Lee Bullock and belated glory beckoned for Boulding but, looking like he was trying to break the net, the youngster smashed the ball against the bar and the rebound nearly flew out of the penalty area.

Not to be outdone, Motherwell marched straight up the other end where Jim O'Brien's volley smacked against the woodwork as well.

McCall was not downbeat afterwards despite the one-sided scoreline.

He said: "Make no bones about it, this was going to be a really tough exercise. They haven't finished behind Celtic and Rangers because they're an average side.

"The goals were sloppy ones from our point of view but I told the lads at half-time to forget the score and just see what we could do. And what pleased me was the chances we created in the second half - I don't know how we've not scored."

A routine exercise for Motherwell; a useful lesson for City. The result should not knock the feelgood factor which has enveloped Valley Parade since the Boulding capture.

They will not meet a side anywhere near as good as this one in League Two.

MOTHERWELL		BRADFORD CITY
1	Graeme Smith	1	Rhys Evans
2	Paul Quinn	2	Paul Arnison
3	Steven Hammell	3	Paul Heckingbottom
4	Mark Reynolds	4	Luke Sharry
5	Stephen Hughes	5	Graeme Lee
6	Keith Lasley	6	Mark Bower
7	Stephen Hughes	7	Willy Topp
8	Robert Malcolm	8	Lee Bullock
9	Chris Porter	9	Joe Colbeck
10	David Clarkson	10	Peter Thorne
11	Darren Smith	11	Chris Brandon
Subs:		Subs:
12 for 4	Seyfo Soley	12 for 5	Matthew Clarke
13	Phil Imley	13	Jon McLaughlin
14 for 11	Jim O'Brien	14 for 2	Simon Ainge
15 for 10	Jamie Murphy	15 for 11	Luke O'Brien
16 for 6	Marc Fitzpatrick	16 for 7	Omar Daley
17 for 7	Soulemane Maman	17 for 9	Rory Boulding
18 for 8	Steven McGarry	18 for 10	Barry Conlon
19 for 2	Kenny Connolly	19	David Wetherall
20 for 9	Paul Slane	20	Wayne Jacobs

GOALSCORERS:
MOTHERWELL	BRADFORD CITY
Clarkson (1)
Porter (19) pen
D Smith (31)
Malcolm (40)

MATCH OFFICIALS:
Referee:	D Somers
Assistant Referee:	M Cryans
Assistant Referee:	D Rose
4th Official: